What Type of Plants Are Strawberry Plants?

By Mr. Strawberry

Have you ever wondered what type of plant classification into which the humble strawberry plant falls? Think about it for a moment, and you will see just how unique strawberry plants are. They are short. They have dark green leaflets with serrated edges. They produce strawberries that weigh a tremendous amount compared to the weight of the vegetation that supports them.

They obviously aren’t trees. They aren’t shrubs. Due to the fact that they produce strawberry runners, some might be tempted to think they are a vine. They aren’t. Are you curious yet about what type of plant is a strawberry plant? The answer can be found by continuing to read, but I’ll give you two clues. The classification of strawberry plants comes largely from the characteristics of strawberry flowers and its vegetative growth.

What Type of Plants Are Strawberry Plants?

Strawberry plants are classified as a forb or herb. Forb/herb plants are ones that don’t have significant amounts of woody tissue above the ground but are still vascular. Their lack of woody tissue causes them to be relatively short (their stems will not thicken and stiffen to support tall growth like non-forb/herb plants will).

Additionally, the presence of perennating buds on strawberry plants further causes them to fall within this category of plants. These perennating buds allow the strawberry plants to survive the winter and produce strawberry flowers again in the spring. More specifically, perennating buds are ones that are formed prior to unfavorable conditions (i.e. winter) and then die back when the cold hits. The buds are supported throughout the dormant winter period and then come to life again in the spring. They are supported and formed within the strawberry plant crown.